The Heroin Addiction Kills Cats Story

Okay, it wasn’t that the cat was addicted to heroin but that a guy named Luigi Epifania who was a junky got it into his head that he would not only stomp a neighborhood cat to death (incidentally, a cat named Nunu) but also his burn his body and through the remains into an apartment window. The guy’s defense, according to his lawyer, was that he was strung out at the time.

Sentencing for Heroin Induced Cat Killing

He was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison. With credit for time served, a mind boggling 437 days that he spent locked up awaiting trial. But the thing is, there was something of a media frenzy surrounding the fate of the 25-year-old Epifania. Apparently, five cat fans wrote letters to the presiding judge, Superior Court Judge Charles T. Spurlock, asking that Epifania be sentenced with the maximum for such an offense: five years.

Their argument? Clearly, he’s disturbed and it won’t be long before he turns his malice on a human victim. One person suggests that he’s a burgeoning serial killer. Now, I’ve heard stories about serial killers who tortured animals in their childhood, but by 25, they were pretty much already in the big leagues. 

Says Epifania’s lawyer: “The media is here looking for a monster. He is not a monster.” He also said that he had fed the cat in the past and that the only evidence the cops had on him was a coerced, taped confession.

The fact that he set a fire that caused property damage seemed to be an addendum to the actual issue.

The judge said, “Drugs are his problem. He’s got a problem and he’s got to address it. He’s got to stay clean.”

The Really Crazy Thing About This

It seems that cat killing isn’t the only thing that Epifania got busted for. A few days after the cat (it looks like the doom predictors were right), he attacked a man with a knife and a hot frying pan. For this, guess what he got! Probation and mandatory attendance at NA or AA meetings and drug testing.

I think that this is just insane. What do you guys think? Was the sentencing fair? Do you think Epifania is a serial killer in training? Would you want him to move in next door to you when he gets out in three months? Tell me what you think!

Um, what.

A Tough Life for an Elephant

According to Weird Asia News, “An Asian elephant that was fed bananas laced with heroin by cruel smugglers to keep him under control has been put through a detox program by Chinese vets in Beijing.”

They’re calling the elephant Big Brother, and in his four-year long life, he’s been illegally captured and given heroin to subdue him and keep him under control. When the poachers who stole were arrested, the police wanted to free Big Brother, but quickly noticed that something wasn’t quite right. That’s right: he was going through heroin detox and having some severe withdrawal symptoms. So the cops sent him to a wild animal protection center and it was there that he received a methadone maintenance treatment that was steadily decreased over time.

What Methadone Maintenance for an Elephant Looks Like

Apparently, it comes in the form of five mega-shots of methadone a day that are each five times the maximum human dose. And it lasts for three years. I’m not sure where the protocol came from on this, if this is a relatively common occurrence or what (it’s been reported that he had three elephant friends with him at elephant drug rehab who are also doing well), but they’ve got it down to a science now. Over time, his methadone dose was reduced gradually and he seems to be doing fine. He’s scheduled to move to a wildlife park in Kunming where he will live out his days unshackled by heroin addiction.

Why Heroin Rehab for Junkie Elephants?

Well, drug rehab likely would not have been the destination for almost any other animal or species. But Big Brother is an Asian elephants, which are currently classified as endangered by the IUCN. Had he been a regular old elephant, he might have been sent to the gas chamber instead. Or shot. Or whatever they do to large animals who are severely ill. But then again, if he’d been an ordinary elephant, the poachers might have left him alone and never fed him bananas spiked with dope.

How often do you think this happens? What do you think of what must be an exorbitantly expensive treatment for an animal when people are dying from the same disease all over the world? A justified expense?

It’s been a long, messy road for Adler from his G N’ R days to his new life on reality TV with not much to show for it. At the age of 43, Adler looks like he’s in his late 50s. Hopefully Dr. Drew can help him out before his addiction kills him.

Steven’s Drug-a-Logue

Adler has a history of abandonment, starting with his mother giving him to his grandparents at birth. When he was 2 years old, she came back for him, only to toss him out again nine years later, at which point he went back to his grandparents’ home.

Guns N’ Roses and A Life of Addiction

At 10 years old, he met Slash another future member of G N’ R. When they got older, the two recruited bassist, Duff McKagen, and later, Axl Rose and Izzie Strandlin, merging LA Guns and Hollywood Rose to form Guns N’ Roses. But Steven would only be on the first three G N’ R records and drum on one (heavily edited) song on another record.

On tour, he was constantly getting into fights and broke his hand—not the best thing for a drummer—as a result in 1987. He missed out on playing at the 1989 American Music Awards because he was in drug rehab. Thanks to him, the group had to record the song “Civil War” 60 times. In fact, his work required editing just to so that the band could play along. He was fired for a brief period, only to be reinstated with the stipulation that he would stop using.

Of course, that agreement didn’t stick, and he was kicked out the band officially on July 11, 1990 for “his heavy substance abuse that impeded his ability to work,” according to the band. Don’t feel too sorry for him though: Adler won a lawsuit against the G N’ R crew and with it a $2,250,000 back payment check and 15 percent of the royalties for everything he recorded with them before he got the boot. So yeah, life is hard, but sometimes it’s not so difficult to find the silver lining.

Physical Effects of Drug Addiction

It took another six years of steady drug abuse before his body let him know that enough was enough: Adler suffered from a stroke in 1996, thanks to a speedball. His speech is still affected, as is apparent on the show, and some say that it’s actually worse now due to his continued drug use.

Drug Addiction and Domestic Violence

And then there’s his rocky relationships. Apparently, domestic violence isn’t that big a deal when you’re Steven Adler, because he’s attacked three women (convicted on one count, plead no contest to two others) and got probation, 150 day prison term and a year of domestic violence. Well, as long as he’s not killing any cats, right…. To be fair, his current wife, Carolina, seems perfectly happy with him and I hope, for her sake, that he’s figured out a better way to handle his anger when women are concerned.

Getting Over Drug Addiction… Or Trying To

Adler got himself a new band and first named it Suki Jones before renaming it Adler’s Appetite. They released an EP and play live from time to time. Obviously, not so often due to the disease and when they do play, the sets are pretty heavy on the G N’ R, from all reports.

We wish you the best of luck with Dr. Drew, Adler!

One problem that is oft cured by prescription painkillers is insomnia. Sleeping—or the lack thereof—may be enough to warrant the prescription but in most cases, difficulties sleeping begin when prescription drug use stops. The side effect of opiate painkillers is their ability to knock us out. When we stop taking the drug, we find that our bodies have forgotten how to fall asleep naturally. So how do we fix this problem?

Non-Narcotic Options for Sleep

• Yoga - Since relaxing your body and mind are the first step to falling asleep, it makes sense that yoga would be a good idea. None of that energizing, super sweaty yoga, though. Opt instead for the slow, stretchy kind. There are some videos available with 20-minute relaxing routines that are meant to be done before bed.
• Exercise – Earlier in the day, some good rigorous exercise will help to wear your body out naturally so that when you’re ready to go to bed, your body is, too.
• Avoid cigarettes before bedtime – In addition to staying away from sugar, chocolate, coffee, soda and other ‘upper’ type substances, avoiding cigarettes a few hours before bed is recommended when you’re having trouble sleeping.
• Big meals or no meals – Not eating at all can keep you awake as much as eating way too much. Make sure you eat something a few hours before bed so that you don’t wake up starving but not so much or so close to bed time that you’re body is focused on digesting rather than relaxing.

Commercial Yet Non-Narcotic Options for Sleep

• Melatonin – These little pills will help you sleep if you take them right before you lay down. Available in slow release capsule. (about $7)
• Valerian Root – Don’t be put off by the stinky feet smell of these guys. They come in capsule form or you can buy the tea… or the herb to make the tea… or in tincture form. (about $7)
• Good Night Pills  – A bunch of companies have created their own sleepy time formula and most combine melatonin and valerian with other calming herbs (about $15)
• Kava Kava – Best in tincture form, it’s also available in capsules and pretty much all it’s good for is helping you sleep. (about $7)
• Lavender – They say that lavender is soothing and you can find a range of sleep pillows, eye masks, lotions, bed linen scents, candles, aromatherapy oils and more that are scented with the stuff to help you sleep. (about $5 to $20 depending upon quality of herb and the item)
• Good Night Tea – There are a number of different brands that cater to getting you ready for bed but the best include a combination of chamomile, catnip, hops and passionflower (about $4 to $6).

Of course, if you’re hooked on 5 Oxys every night or take 8 Vicodin just to calm down, chances are these little over the counter remedies won’t be much help. But every little bit counts and as your body adjusts to being without the opiates, these herbs and exercises will have a greater effect.

Anyone else have any suggestions about how to get to sleep when you’re trying to break your opiate painkiller addiction?